Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-01-11
JOHN ROACH IS DEAD.
THE FAMOUS SHIP BUILDER SUCCUMBS To
THE CANCER.
The Closing Scenes Of an Evontful Life al His Home
Ytsterday-Prepsratians for His Funeral
The Interesting Story Of the Ship
Builders Career.

NEW YORK, January lO.-JOhu Roach,
the great ship p-huildrr died at eight o'clock
this morning. The cancerous growth had
eaten its way into the side. o; the neck,
below the angle OF the jaw, involving the
large arteries, which became liable To
rupture at any moment. Mr.. Roach was
i'll great pain all day yesterday, and to give
him relief large doses of morphine were
injected and he vas unconscious most of
the time. In the few conscious moments
he had he spoke to his son, Garrett, who
was with him all the time. The young
man remained with his father during the
night He occupied a seat at the bedside
and helped the nurses, who applied sOOth
ing pOultices and renewed the injections
Of morphine every time the patient
awakened. Only a few intimate friends
of the family were aGiHitted TO the house
yesterday, but nobody other than the
nurses and physicians were allowed to see
Mr. Roach.
The family remained up with Mr. Roach
until one o'clock this morning, when they
retired, with the exception of Garrett y.
Roach. He remained on watch with the
nurses Dr. Taylor called ut five oclocl,
this morning. lie detected the approach
of death, and AT once informed the family
that Mr.. Roach had only a few hours TO
live. The dying man sank slowly, losing
consciousness at 7:3O. His end was un-
marked by struggle In the room sur
rounding the couch Of the dying man were
Mr. and Mrs. VIM. +. Mcpherson, of Phil
adelphia; John l.. Roach, Garrett y. Roach,
Stephen W. Roach, Miss Emilinc Roach,
! John Walton, a nephew; Mrs. Roach and
three grandchildren.
| The date of the funeral has not been de
cided upon. 1t will take place from ST.
Pmil's Methodist Episcopal Church, corner
Twenty-secOnd street and Fourth avenue.
Mr. Roach was member Of the church.
The uterment will he in the family plot
at Greenwood Cemetery.
STORIES OF HIS PRIVATE LIFE.
Stories without end are told Of the pri-
vate life of Mr.. Roach. He was OF solid
build, and was hardy and well preserved.
| His habit was To retire generally about ii
| D. IN. and rise at : in the morning. Eight
O'Clock found him busy at work, for his
personal inspection Of all work had, he
| stated, been the secret Of his success. On
! the trains between New York and Wash
| ingtOn Mr.. Roach was well known to all the
! train hands, and he might be frequently
! found stretched upon two or three trunks
/ in the baggage car, snugly tucked up by the
| baggagemaSter, with roll under his head
and slippers upon his feet, resting while
/ travelling. He was remarkably careless in
/ his dress, and his deafness made him diff
cult man to talk to, while as for talking, he
was always ready to speak earnestly and
well for hours at time, and of late years
upon the one broad topic of American
shipping and what Congress should do for
its revival. He wrote rs vigorously and
persistcntly as he talked and pamphlet
after pamphlet was fired at the public, the
| press and the departments, all crammed
with figures to sustain his claim for high
! protection and subsidy legislation Mr..
! Roach talked before Congressional com
| mittecs addressed wOrkingmen : clubs and
/ was never tired OF drawing upon his inn
mcnse fund of experience, and from a
/ head crammcd with figures and facts he
would make his point and clinch every one
of them with close touch of Irish wit.
- bcggar for subsidy" nc was called, but
he was always ready to try and convince
any one that money spent to encourage
| American industry was well spent. lie
was strong in his opposition to lawsuits,
and boasted that he had never been either
defendant or plaintir in one.